Illness
by kirstencohen
Summary: Kirsten and Ryan get sick and they need their bedrest. Sandy is run off of his feet. Been up before but its been totally revised and made longer! Mistakes have been fixed too. ONE SHOT R


**Hope you like**

Kirsten woke from a restless sleep with a pounding headache. She shivered and pulled her bed sheets close to her body. She turned and reached for her husband but he wasn't there. "Sandy?" she croaked. Her voice was different. She stood up to go in search of a much-needed hug from Sandy but instead the room spun and she felt herself falling sideways. "Whoa, honey." Sandy had grabbed her before she fell.

"Sandy I don't feel so good."

"Really? And you weren't even drinking last night. Go figure" He joked. Kirsten attempted to swat his arms but she felt so weak that she fell into his arms. He lay her back on the bed, "Just go back to sleep. Maybe you're just tired."

"Sandy my bones are aching. I think I have the flu or something." She pouted and Sandy sat on the bed next to her. "So... no work today?"

"Ugh I have a meeting with the Japanese firm today and if I don't go we could lose the contract."

"I think you're more likely to do that if you infect them with the flu." Kirsten pouted again and flung herself back onto the bed. She clutched her forehead, "Ugh I shouldn't have done that."

Down in the kitchen Kirsten sat at the table and stared miserably into her coffee as she tried to explain to her Father that she wouldn't be going into work. "But Dad I'm really sick... I know but... I..." Sandy snatched the phone from her grasp, "Cal! Yeah I totally agree with you. I mean its just a little snot and vomit right...? What's that? Yeah she's been throwing up for the past hour but I'm sure if you explain that to your Japanese clients then they'll understand. There's a drycleaners in the area right? Oh are you sure? Wow I didn't figure you to be so soft. See ya later Cay Cay." Sandy placed the phone back down and Kirsten laughed softly as her husband raised his eyebrows, "You gotta admit that was pretty good. Huh?" Kirsten just laughed again and turned her attention to Ryan who had just entered the kitchen.

"Ugh. Morning" moaned Ryan.

"What's wrong with you?" Sandy asked

"Don't feel so good... head hurts... bones are sore and... now I'm... gonna vomit" Ryan sprinted out of the kitchen back to the pool house.

"Great looks like we got an epidemic here. Maybe I should go check on Seth?"

"Morning children." Seth said as he strolled through the kitchen and toward the cupboard. He pulled out a box of Cap'N'Crunch and plunged his hand into the box, "Seth use a bowl," Kirsten croaked. Seth looked at her, "You don't look so great."

"Thanks sweetie."

"Has mommy got the sniffles?" he asked in a mock baby voice. Kirsten stuck out her lip and nodded. Seth ran over to her and wrapped his arms around his mother, "Aww there. We'll make you all better." Kirsten draped her arms over his shoulders and he kissed her on the cheek. He bent down on his knees and placed his hands on the side of her face, "Now open wide..." he instructed and Kirsten smiled before opening her mouth. Seth peered in and nodded, "Mmmm yes we have swollen glands. You see that dad? I say you need bed rest and some antibiotics." Sandy smirked, "Thank you Dr Seth. Now lets get you to bed honey before I go check on Ryan."

"Ryan's sick?" Seth asked looking rather crestfallen, "We were supposed to hang out today."

"Well you still can but you're gonna have to do it in the pool house," Kirsten said as she got shakily to her feet. Seth shook his head, "Oh no I'm not spending a day trapped in an enclosed space with all those virus particles floating around."

"Seth you basically just jumped down your mother's throat with all those virus particles."

"Oh contraire father. I kept a good distance away and this kitchen is huge. Although I think I'll go shower just to make sure."

Kirsten sat in bed while Sandy puffed her pillows. "Now you're nice and comfy?"

"I'm fine would you just stop fussing."

"That's what I'm here for. That's why I took time off work. To fuss. So if you need anything just ask."

"I will don't you worry. I'm gonna make you're life hell Sanford Cohen."

Sandy looked at Kirsten confused. She exclaimed, "You don't think I remember the chicken pox incident of 93? I had to look after you and Seth single handily. You were hell! Men always are." Sandy's face fell and after a pause Kirsten continued, "I'm kidding Sandy don't look so worried."

"I think I'll go check on Ryan."

Sandy found Ryan in the pool house bathroom with his head down the toilet. Sandy went over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder while he had finished emptying the contents of his stomach. "How you feeling kid?"

"Great. I've only vomited once in the last ten minutes."

"There's an improvement."

Ryan smiled weakly at Sandy as he helped him off the floor and over to his bed. "Like I just said to Kirsten call when you need me. I just took some time off work to look after you guys and Seth'll be helping out since you guys don't have school for another week."

"Ok I will."

"So I'll set up the playstation and a TV in here for you. I don't want you to be too bored."

"Nah man, don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"I know but I'll bring it in here anyway. Just in case." Sandy squeezed his shoulder and saw his go green again. He helped him back to the bathroom and waited patiently before finding another t-shirt for him to wear, "Maybe I'll get a basin in here as well."

"Just in case?" Ryan asked smirking.

"Yeah. Just in case."

Sandy was just sitting down to a cup of coffee and his newspaper when he heard three loud bangs through the ceiling. Sandy wearily set down his coffee and newspaper and dragged himself up the stairs. He found Kirsten lying in a mountain of tissues, "Sandy could you bring me some aspirin? And a glass of water? Thanks." Sandy went back downstairs and filled a glass with some bottled water. He headed for the bathroom and took out two aspirin from the bottle in the medicine cabinet. He had been running ragged for the past two days; making coffee; bringing them soup and juice and medication. He was exhausted. He headed upstairs for the umpteenth time and he heard the distant yell of Ryan asking Sandy for some coffee. "Ugh. I need to sit down for a minute." He moaned as he entered their bedroom. "Hey hold on a sec. What am I doing?" He placed the aspirin and water on their chest of drawers and he pulled the covers off of Kirsten.

"Honey I don't think now is the time to be... what are you doing?" Sandy flung Kirsten over his shoulder and made his way downstairs. "Sandy, I don't think this is helping!! Why are you taking me outside? I'm freezing!" Sandy walked past the pool and into the pool house. He threw Kirsten down onto the bed next to Ryan who was reading a comic book... graphic novel. "This way you have company and I don't need to walk up those stairs every time you want a pillow fluffed..." Kirsten frowned and Sandy pleaded, "Oh come on give me a break... there's playstation? Huh Ryan you could teach Kirsten how to play that game about pirates."

"Ninja's," Ryan corrected him. Kirsten was laughing loudly, "Sandy you can't be serious?"

"As long as Ryan doesn't mind I'm deadly serious." He looked at Ryan. "I don't mind. I'm just sitting here reading anyway since Seth is too scared to come near me in fear of being infected."

"There it's settled then." Sandy laughed and made his way outside before collapsing on a sun lounger and closing his eyes. Savouring the silence. Almost

"Sandy!"

As Ryan continued to read his comic book Kirsten went over some paperwork she had asked Sandy to bring her through. As she finished going over the plans for a new development her stomach lurched, "Oh no." She sprang from the bed and sprinted to the bathroom. Tears streamed from her eyes as she threw up into the toilet. She heard someone come in the bathroom behind her. When she finished she looked up to find Ryan throwing up in the sink. Ryan looked at Kirsten, "Sorry," he croaked, "I just... talk about quality time huh?" Kirsten giggled as the both rinsed their mouths and washed their faces. "Do you mind if I take a shower? I feel kinda yucky." She explained

"Go ahead." he answered. He went back into the room and collapsed on the bed. He picked up some of the paperwork Kirsten was looking at. About fifteen minutes later Kirsten emerged from the bathroom showered and into a fresh pair of pyjamas. She saw Ryan reading though some of the sheets she'd left on the bed, "If you were Seth you'd be asleep by now." Ryan dropped the sheets like they were on fire, "Sorry. I just saw them there and thought I'd look. I'm sorry."

"Hey it's okay. These aren't the confidential ones anyway. Just some drawing for a new development."

"It looks really good. I like the mouldings in the ceiling."

"Really? I wasn't so sure. I didn't want it to look to periodic."

"Nah it's just gives it an edge. It can still look modern with those old mouldings... my old neighbour form down the street. He was an architect. He let me help him sometimes. I picked up a few things." Kirsten smiled, "So you think you could help me decide on a design for this development?"

Later Kirsten and Ryan lay side by side in the bed in exhaustion. Just then the door of the poolhouse opened and a colleague of Kirsten's walked in. "David, what are you doing here?" she asked perplexed.

"Sorry to just show up but we really need the paperwork for that new development and whenever we call to ask you to fax it to us a guy keeps saying that you can't come to the phone so..."

"Oh. Sandy. My husband. Very protective. Sorry you had to come all the way down here"

"Don't worry about it..." he looked at Ryan, "And you must be...Seth?" he shook Ryan's hand, "Wow. You know your mom always said that you looked like Sandy but I have to say you are you're Mother's double. It's amazing." He stopped noticing the embarrassed expression on Ryan's face.

"Uh David this isn't Seth. It's my other son. Ryan."

"Oh... OH!" he exclaimed realising his mistake, "I see well it's uh nice to meet you...Ryan."

Kirsten handed him the paperwork he needed and sent him on his way. When she returned Ryan was setting up the playstation. "Fancy a game? I could teach you."

"Sure." She replied

Kirsten sat on the edge of the bed next to Ryan as he fiddled with controls and channels until the start screen appeared in the TV. "It's weird huh? I mean I know people say things to make conversation but at least now we can tell when they're talking bull."

"Well you know it's not the first time someone has told me that we look alike."

Ryan tilted his head as he studied Kirsten's face. "It's probably the hair. And the blue eyes." She explained, "and we both have high cheekbones. It's just... the hair that's it."

Ryan stopped examining Kirsten's features and said, "We actually do look a lot alike. I never noticed that before. People must think that we're related when we're seen together..."

Kirsten smiled and turned her head toward the control pad she had in her hands. "So how do you do this again?" Ryan faced the screen preying his blushes would subside. When he felt his cheeks cool he turned to Kirsten and explained the controls to her.

"Well Kirsten you officially suck at this." He laughed.

"Well I'm not used to the ninja game!" she moaned.

"Well what are you used to?"

"Seth only let's me play the skateboarding one."

"Pro skater? You can play that?"

"Seth refuses to play me now. Are you prepared to take on the Kirsten?" she asked in her best threatening tone. Ryan laughed, "I think I'm up for the challenge." Ryan slid the disk into the PS2 and handed the controls to Kirsten, "You're going down."

Later they had given up on playstation after three interrupts to run o the bathroom. Sandy brought in their dinner on trays and left hurriedly after planting a kiss on his wife's cheek. "So Ryan. What music do you listen to?"

"Uh. I don't really listen to music."

"Wow! Really?"

"I guess I kinda like Journey."

"Journey? Nah I didn't really like them that much."

"So what did you like then? Wham?"

"Hey! No I liked uh... Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses, David Bowie uh... there were loads I just can't remember."

"Bon Jovi huh?" Ryan asked and Kirsten nodded. Ryan got off his bed and went over to his CD collection. He pulled out a number of CD's and threw them onto the bed, "I have all their CD's. There one of my favourite bands."

"I thought you said you didn't like music."

"No I said I don't really listen to music but... when I do it's either Bon Jovi or Journey."

"Can I put one on?"

"Sure. Which one do you want?"

"These Days. It's their best album. This Aint A Love Song is my favourite."

"I thought you'd like Bed of Roses or Always the best. The slow stuff."

"I do I just like that song better. What's yours?"

"Probably Keep The Faith or It's My Life. I prefer their old stuff but the new stuff's good too."

"Have you ever seen them in concert?"

"Nah I tried to get tickets for their Crush tour but by the time I had enough money for me and Theresa it was too late."

"I saw them a few years ago. I went with Julie Cooper of all people."

"Wow! Really were they good?"

"Yeah they were amazing. Hey you know they're going on tour next year to promote their new album. I should get tickets. You can bring Marissa and I'll try and talk Sandy into it."

"Sounds good." Ryan slid the CD in and the bass line to Livin' On A Prayer started up. Kirsten sang softly to herself until they both fell asleep.

Kirsten woke up feeling rested and comfortable. She reached for Sandy and pulled him close. He wrapped his arms around her and she nestled her head in his chest and breathed in his salty seawater smell... but he didn't smell like he usually did. She could smell...aftershave...? No she recognised it as Ryan's shower gel. Why would Sandy be using Ryan's... "Ahh!" she screamed, "Oh my God! I...I...I didn't know I..." Ryan stuttered along with her, "I thought you were... Marissa or... I don't know I... didn't know either." Ryan stopped noticing the look on Kirsten's face and they both began to laugh.

"Hey you kids seem better." Seth entered the pool house, "what's so funny?" Kirsten shook her head at Ryan and he asked, "What are you doing in here? Aren't you scared incase the virus is airborne and you develop a mutated version of our flu?" He noticed Kirsten's bewildered expression, "his words." He answered simply.

"Nope. Dad said you were all better now so he's off the hook and Mom you need to call Grandpa and tell him to stop calling here and harassing your poor husband."

Kirsten looked at Ryan, "So that was an interesting week."

"Yeah." He agreed, "Couldn't have done it without you," he joked and he held up his hand. Kirsten slapped it and replied, "me either kid."

Kirsten left the boys to their playstation and went in search of her Husband. She found him in the kitchen propped up on a stool head hung over a bowl of mushy cornflakes. "How's Dr Sanford feeling huh?"

"Tired. Need. Sleep" he answered as he snuggled into Kirsten's neck. "Come on sweetie. Let me take you upstairs and take care of you." She offered

"Can't Kirsten don't have the energy."

"Ugh. I don't mean...just get upstairs and I'll cook us up some decent breakfast"

"Gonna order in?"

Kirsten reached for Sandy and he ran upstairs, "You gotta catch me first!" Kirsten followed suit and she called out, "Just you wait Sanford Cohen."

Kirsten felt the slow rise and fall of Sandy's chest as they lay in bed. It was around 8am and Kirsten was having trouble getting back to sleep. She looked up at Sandy and he smiled down at her. "You can't sleep either?" he asked suggestively "No. I'm gonna get up. You want me to make you some coffee or are you gonna try and get back to sleep?"

"I was thinking..." Sandy raised his eyebrows and pulled her closer

"Well you thought wrong," She laughed, "I'm gonna make some coffee and catch up on some work that I've missed." Kirsten pecked Sandy on the lips and strolled out of the bedroom. As Kirsten approached the kitchen she heard the gentle rustle of a newspaper. Ryan was up. It was the first time they would be alone since the morning before. "Morning Ryan." Kirsten said softly, "Sleep well now you don't have me snoring next to you?"

"Or harassing me in my sleep?" he tried to joke. Kirsten laughed awkwardly.

"Harassing you. What's all this?" Seth had just entered the kitchen

"Oh morning honey... it's nothing... it's just a stupid misunderstanding." Kirsten replied

"Well I would just love to hear it." Sandy ambled in behind Seth.

"Well," Kirsten looked at Ryan who laughed into his coffee. "Yesterday morning when I woke up in Ryan's bed I thought that I was... you know in my normal bed... and you I always cuddle into you in the morning Sandy..."

"Ugh Mom just about to have breakfast..." Seth interjected

"ANYWAY," she continued, "I thought that Ryan was you, Sandy and it turns out Ryan thought I was Marissa and we kinda woke up in a sort of..."

"Clinch." Ryan finished.

"Thank you." Kirsten replied. Sandy and Seth stared at each other in shock and then they suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. "Wow we wanted you to bond a bit more and become closer but that's taking it a little far!" Sandy said between gasps.

"See what we need to put up with Ryan?" Kirsten placed her hand on his shoulder and they watched Seth and Sandy claw at each other for support.

"Some people are so immature." Ryan answered with a smirk. "Oh well you can't say life isn't interesting at the Cohen household."

"Cohen/Atwood household," she corrected him. Sandy and Seth stopped laughing and looked at Kirsten pleasantly surprised.

"Cohen/Atwood." Ryan said thoughtfully.

Seth smiled at his father and said, "Lets have pancakes for breakfast."

THE END

**Please leave a review and let me know what you thought**


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